I shrugged, feeling his arm move with my shoulders, which gave me a strange feeling of comfort.
“Did you see him better this time?” Tanya asked.
“Not really. He had a hat on, and it was pulled over most of his face.”
“How old is he?”
“I can’t tell.”
“Well, what exactly happened?” Tanya asked. “Tell me every detail.”
I went through the whole thing, playing down how scared I was because now, it sounded ridiculous. Why was it that when he was behind me, I felt this terror that suggested he might assault me or kill me, and then my brain flipped to feeling ridiculous once the immediate danger was past? Was I imagining the whole thing, making it more than it was? Between my jealousy and this, I was starting to feel a tiny hint of fear that something was wrong in my head.
While I talked, Jerry took his arm away. When I was finished, Tanya flung herself at me. “That’s so terrible. You must have been terrified. You can’t be going out alone. And walking to work in the dark. It’s not safe. Please tell me you’ll stop doing that.”
“I—“
“Until he goes away, or we can figure out what he’s up to, talk to him. You should listen to your sister,” Jerry said.
“I’m not going to stop running.”
“Then Tanya should go with you from now on,” he said.
Tanya shivered. “No. It’s…no, I’m not doing that. You need to go to the gym or something. Run on a treadmill.” She shivered again and jerked her head toward the window, looking for him. But I knew he was gone. He’d accomplished whatever he wanted for the night.
Chapter 9
At work the next morning, I finished up in the office early and was out on the main floor by nine-thirty. I wandered the aisles, not so much checking up on my employees as simply reassuring myself everything was functioning in top form. The people who worked for Fresh Barons were stellar. I felt so lucky every time I looked around the store and saw how clean it was, how the shelves were full and neatly arranged, how the produce was stacked to look alluring without creating a mountain of fruit or vegetables that turned into an avalanche if someone touched it the wrong way. The displays were enticing, and I liked to wander around as if I were a customer, looking for tiny ways to make it better.
As I turned and walked back past the fresh fish, John stepped out from behind the counter where he’d been talking to the guy in charge of that section. “Hey, Alexis. I was going to come by your office in a few minutes.”
“Anything going on?” I said.
“Sorry I didn’t get to you right away.” He moved away from the counter, out of hearing of others. “It was a little strange, and I thought you should know.”
“What happened?”
“Some guy came in right after the store opened.”
I waited, feeling my pulse quicken.
“He was asking questions about you.”
“What kind of questions?”
“He wanted to know your name, how long you’d worked here—”
“Did you tell him?”
“He asked how long you’d worked here first, and my radar didn’t go off right away, sorry about that. It wasn’t until he asked your name that I asked why he wanted to know.”
“What did he say?”
“When I told him you were the owner, he laughed. I’m pretty sure he didn’t believe me. ”
“That’s weird.”
He nodded. “So I didn’t give him your name. He just turned and walked away. I called after him and asked why he wanted to know, and he just kept walking. I know he heard me, but he didn’t even turn around.”
“What did he look like?”
“Maybe a little taller than me, so six-one? Pretty well-built. No beard, average brown hair.”
I nodded. “How old?”
He shrugged. “I’m not good at that.”
I laughed. “Well, was he twenty or sixty?”
“Okay. Good point. Probably my age? Thirty-five or -six. Maybe younger. But not a kid and definitely not middle-aged or more.”
I had no idea what I was going to do with this information. It fit the guy I’d seen watching me, following me, but a completely different description would have fit just as well since my views of him had been shrouded in darkness, possibly blurred even further by my fear. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“Yeah. Like I said, sorry I didn’t do it earlier. It seemed like something you should know.”
“It’s a little unsettling, but I’m not sure what to do about it.”
He nodded. “Probably nothing. If I see him again, I’ll let you know right away.”
“Thanks. How are things otherwise?” I asked.
“Good. No issues. Just minor stuff that I can update you on at the weekly meeting.”
“Okay, thanks.”
We headed in opposite directions, and I found myself at the front of the store, looking out at the parking lot and the street beyond, wondering who the man was. Coming into the store and asking about me put things in an entirely different light.
Now I wondered if it wasn’t physical harm he intended for me, but something more planned, threatening in a very different way. I stood at the front window for a long time, wondering what I should do. No answers came to me.
I didn’t like what this guy was doing to my mental state. I needed to find out who he was. Maybe the best thing was to confront him head-on. That usually is the best way. I’d let some sort of irrational fear take over. I wasn’t going to let that continue.
Chapter 10
When Jerry went to bed, Tanya begged me not to follow him. “I’m scared. There’s no way I can sleep. Let’s just sit here and have some more wine.”
“I’ve had too much wine.” Looking at my sister, it was clear she’d consumed even more alcohol than I had but didn’t seem to want to admit it.
“Just one glass, then.” The look in her eyes was pure longing.
I shook my head. I stood and
